| Traditionally the local furniture store would buy | | | | dance with the in house customer service rep calling |
| wholesale furniture from independent sales reps that | | | | their warehouse to do a physical inventory check |
| became trusted resources for new designs, catalogs | | | | would ensue. Now the furniture store just goes |
| and wholesale companies that might not ever market | | | | online, looks for their item, informs their customer |
| into a territory due to cost. Territories which ranged | | | | that the item is in stock and then they facilitate the |
| from several zip codes to several states could cost a | | | | purchase on the spot. This reduces the buying |
| furniture wholesale company several hundreds of | | | | process from: catalog, independent rep, customer |
| thousands of dollars to staff efficiently from the | | | | service, warehouse, order to the following: online |
| company support, catalog creation, travel fees such | | | | store, order. |
| as gas and hotels and telecommunication costs. Since | | | | All of this reduction in man power benefits the |
| the consumer has demanded lower and lower costs | | | | consumer in lower prices. Some of the first wholesale |
| for the finished furniture product and the current | | | | furniture movers have adopted internet polices that |
| sales volume has dried up due to the recession, | | | | gave them an advantage to some of the older, |
| sometimes the sales reps have been cut out entirely | | | | entrenched and antiquated furniture companies and |
| and replaced with an online ordering system. | | | | have essentially pushed them out of business with |
| In order to push costs down to as low as possible, | | | | their efficiencies. As time progressed and most of |
| many wholesale companies started to place their | | | | the surviving furniture wholesale companies have |
| inventory online to make it easier for the retailer to | | | | adopted an internet policy, the end result has been |
| purchase items directly from their company. The | | | | lower prices for the furniture store and consumer |
| advantage to the retailer is they now have instant | | | | alike. One disadvantage of this methodology is that if |
| access to how many items are available from the | | | | the furniture wholesaler does not have independent |
| wholesaler. Not that many years ago, the retailer | | | | reps in a territory anymore, they must show at a |
| used to have to call in to see if the furniture | | | | local or national furniture shows in order to see their |
| wholesaler had an item in stock and a complicated | | | | customer both new and old on a periodic basis. |